‘Welcome to our site. We intend to use it to communicate a number of things but principally about books. Liz and I started writing in 2013 mainly for our intellectual stimulation. We had retired from our respective jobs and because of disabilities could not get out as much as we wanted. As we progressed, the characters became more and more alive to us so continuing the series seemed only natural. We are working on out sixth book “Dispatched” but have not been able to feel happy about its results. Watch here for our release. For those who want the printed page, our first book “Betrayal and Other Family Matters” is now available at Amazon. We are under construction and hope to be forever. So come back often and see what is new and exciting (at least to us). You may be asked for an Authorization Code. If so, enter “Liz” (without quotation marks).’
Songs for Liz
Useful News
Haiti
We are adding this section because we don’t see much of personal level news from Haiti from the media. But they need our prayers and our support.
From: Bette Gebrian bette_haiti@hotmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2021 7:28 PM
To: Marie Ketley Seide Florida marieseide1@cs.com
Subject: FW: gas & diesel and life this week on the NPR piece. link attached
Hi,
The World: Latest Edition – Haiti fuel shortage intensifies
Edwin is the best.
He has consistently kept 12 – 55 gallon drums full of diesel since the hurricane. He is down to 7 now but we are rationing and always hoping for a few hours of local EDH power every day or two. Solar panels on each guest house are essential for fans and lights and we use charcoal (making more now with branches and dead trees on our land) and propane to cook (there IS a propane site in town so we are OK there).
Gasoline is the highest EVER- $30 US a gallon. Edwin also has some locked away but not much– the demonstrators had been stopping motorcycles to take the gas to burn tires. Now there is none in town.
The streets are deserted…and, since mules were replaced by thousands of motorcycles, young men who earned their way as taxi men are in big trouble. Melina said that she (and Ti Louis and Jocelyn and the nurse) continue to secretly bring food to elders, but the young people are desperately hungry.
Harvesting the glass eels (we see the lights in the ocean at night) are the only source of income for about a thousand along the shore here and in other places, too. Planes still fly in and presumably buy these live baby eels to ship overseas. Major money being made and a little by the harvesters.
Thank GOD.
Hope there are mules back out in the villages to use this sure-fired way to get goods to and from.
NO busses, no trucks with goods, no boats, broken bridge, rain preventing more from crossing the Grand’Anse, open air market open timidly…other small markets appearing outside of the main Jeremie market so folks can survive.
Edwin and some men on motorcycles have been purchasing all that we can to keep the 15-20 guests here fed and healthy so they can care for others..
Eggs- brought in surprisingly! There ARE free-range eggs but not enough
Toilet paper- purchased by us at any price in bulk
Beer (stocking up for visitors).. solar freezer making ice and keeping some food stocked
Propane tanks filled
All of our underground cistern are full – brought in from the spring with the water truck named MIKE after my Dad…and the plastic cisterns on the roof assure gravity-fed water for showers and the 30 toilets!
Purchasing local foods – avocadoes are being harvested now and there has been rain so there are greens to forage. Fishermen are out doing their best but NO movement to other coastal towns…
The internet cables were cut in several places yesterday and long strips of the wiring just stolen…but Natcom is trying to keep ahead of it.
I am actually surprised that we never lost phone communication (Digicel towers) or internet (out as I mentioned yesterday).
We can hardly rebuild because how is cement going to get here? AND ..Sand is on the other side of the bridge!
So, we have cash for work going with men making charcoal, young women next week sewing knitted knockers with fiberfill and beads and any other jobs we can create to get money into the economy.
WOW, this is a long note.
But pretty much all we are dealing with. We feel safe though we are hampered getting money from the bank – personal or business to get things done. Medsen sans Frontier was paying but banks are not open. So, we have money but cannot get it !!
Off for a break and keep on entering the list of rural families to receive food next week.
Somehow the work does not stop.
We are healthy and together so we are OK
XOX
Bette (and my guy, Edwin!)